Thursday, October 30, 2014

Folks have asked for years about my earlier art work. As evidenced by #piecesofeight and #everythingbutlenin, most people have realized I'm no fan of nostalgia and therefore it's rare that something I've made finds its way back to INSERT VERB HERE me in the present. Fortunately for those of you that like a little ego-driven lesson in recent American art school history, I came across some photos in an old email account this morning of work I completed (and then destroyed) as a grad student in the Mount Royal program at MICA. I exhibited what's here in my final group show, A Spectacle and Nothing Strange, a show name suggested by Karl Marxxx and adopted by some of my awesome classmates who I miss dearly(bonus points for anyone who gets this Baltimore literary reference of the show title).

Colby with Pom-Pom Bullet, yarn, wire. Hunter, felt, glue.

I was dissatisfied by the artist-as-brand direction I'd been pushed in
by Frances Barth at Mount Royal(ironic now, I know!), and I threw out
everything I'd made and sat in my bare white walled box with a few
folding chairs as the program director and Grad School director, as well
as the visiting artist faculty, entered for my final critique. My
statement was heard loud and clear. My favorite visiting artist began
to cry while the Director of the Graduate School, Leslie King-Hammond
yelled at me for pulling what she termed "a ridiculous art stunt." But
for me, my art has always been about the process rather than the
product. The best moments in life are when life is actually happening.
Once you reach the money shot, it's all over and time to clean up the
mess.

A study for Hunter, felt, glue. A portion of this work was begrudgingly preserved by Karl Marxxx.

Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Special guest writer, Rene Lopez has some tricks and tips for you this Halloween in New York City! With editorial photos from Boomer Banks & Rafael Alancar. Editorial note: Colby encourages you to dress scary, not slutty, but he watched Mean Girls too many times.

Don't be a trick, Just be a Treat

5 Tips to a safe, gay, New York Halloween.

Halloween is a favorite holiday for many, possibly the most celebrated holiday in the city, and rightfully so. It’s the one day of the year where you’re encouraged to eat candy and watch horrible campy slasher movies, and where hot guys get to dress up like sluts. But Halloween is also the number one holiday with an increase in injuries, alcohol and drug poisoning, and attacks. Now you may have grown up in the city thinking you’re the king of the concrete jungle, that you walk the streets every night and can out-party the monsters any night, but no matter what your costume may be you’re not really a super hero. Have fun, enjoy the day that belongs to us, and be safe by following these 5 easy tips to take you from the start of your Halloween night to the walk of shame home in November.

Make a plan. Stick with a group. Your best hags and your worst queer frenemies, doesn’t matter just surround yourself with people you know. If the night takes you somewhere unexpected or even hopping from party to party, great. Just go together. And if you out-party your friends who want to call it an early night, stay at the party as long as you want, but when you’re ready to leave, go home. Don’t go anywhere unplanned by yourself.

Have everything you need for an Emergancy. Remember “MILK” M-I-L-K; Money, I.D., Lipstick, Keys.(Lipstick especially if you’re in a drag costume) “MILK”. Keep money with you for cab, food, and drinks, and an extra 20 dollars for an emergency cab ride home incase you find yourself far from home or in a sticky situation. Great car services such as Hail and Lyft offer a free ride up to 25 dollars just by downloeading their apps and entering a code and they send you a photo of your driver and there licence number. It’s the simpilest way to have an emergency get away car a phone call away. Also keep everything you need on your person. No one's going to watch your bag for you and Halloween is the number one night of the year for pick pockets because everyone's wearing masks. If you do have to bring a bag check it at the door. This is a policy with most clubs anyways. Use the opportunity of a bag to pack a pair of jeans and a t-shirt in case you need to change out of your costume, and your phone charger.

Be aware that wearing drag or fem costumes puts you at a higher risk for being gay-bashed. Now I applaued you for sporting your own make-up and fuck-me-pumps all night, you’re awsome. And this does not mean that you are asking to be gay-bashed or that anyone deserves it in anyway. But no one is safe from the ignorantwho wish to harm others. Be aware of your surroundings. Do not walk in dark construction covered sidewalks. Walk where there is the most light and the most people. It sounds paranoid, but it may save your life.

Keep your drinks with you. Take them out on the dance floor or even to the bathroom. Finish them before you go outside to smoke, don’t leave a napkin over it or ask your friends to watch it, and if you accidently leave it unattended, leave it and buy another it’s worth it. Also do not take any drugs from strangers, even something that seems as harmless as poppers. Because you don’t know what’s in those little brown bottles. Don’t chance it.

Wear a condom. If you are so lucky that your costume gets you laid. Play it safe. If you’re not feeling a moment, then don’t do it. It doesn’t matter if the guy bought you drinks, or dinner or paid for a taxi. Don’t feel bad if you get all the way to his house and you want to leave. He could be the nicest guy in the world but remember if you don’t feel comfortable, then politely leave. You don’t owe that person anything. Have respect yourself.

This rule applies for anytime of the year.Be safe, be smart and care enough about yourself to make good decisions. Happy Halloween.

Saturday, October 18, 2014

I'm doing a leg in the Southeastern United States of #ColbyDoesAmerica starting immediately. If you are in Washington, DC and have a bubble butt and you're willing to sit on some dildos (no face), write to me immediately at bigshoediaries at gmail dot com. In the coming weeks, I'll be in TN, western VA, MS, AR, LA, AL, GA and NC. I'm looking for models and collaborators of all kinds. Shoot me an email!

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Hello generous and loving fans! I'm working away and about to start a month long leg of #ColbyDoesAmerica. So far, I've done filming in 7 states (and one foreign country due to the generosity of a friendly fan). Editing is in process and I'm about to start a month long leg through several southern states (call for models tomorrow).

I'm still fulfilling perks and appreciate everyone's patience on that! Watch for emails from colbykellerdoesamerica at gmail for instructions in case we're trying to ship/email you something. :)

Also, folks have been asking about my upcoming birthday. I don't need gifts as everyone has been so generous already, but if you must, I'd love an awesome photo of a vintage strike tshirt from your local thrift store, so keep an eye out and snap a pic and send it to bigshoediaries at gmail dot com. And if you MUST ship it to me because it's super awesome and super cheap, let me know that you've bought the tshirt and I'll send you my temporary shipping addy from the road.

Thursday, October 2, 2014

Hey folks, this project looks pretty awesome. If I had more time, I'd interview Mr. Blane for Big Shoe Diaries, but I'm swamped with all things #ColbyDoesAmerica. Fortunately, there's a video you can watch to learn more. Having been both a babysitter and a sex worker, I would love to see this project happen. Only 12 hours left to do what you can and support Cubby!

And for those of you need more convincing, or a trip down memory lane, here's a clip from one of my favorite movies of all time (yes, that says a lot, I know).